Two charged with murder in Broward 2-year-old’s November death

Little 2-year-old Za’mya Williams’ life ended on the watch of father Larry Haynes and his girlfriend Amber McCray seven months ago. Now, Haynes and McCray are charged with killing her.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office arrested Haynes, 34, and McCray, 23, on Friday and charged each with second-degree murder, a first-degree felony. Conviction of the crime can carry a possible life sentence.

The BSO website said Saturday that each is accused of murder with “aggravated child abuse.” A description called the crime “depraved, without premeditation.” They were both being held without bond pending trial.

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Medical Examiner Stephen Robinson ruled Za’mya died from “blunt force trauma to the abdomen and head,” according to the arrest affidavit. More specifically, he found “multiple liver tears and a perforated bowel which was caused by a blunt force trauma” from three or four days before her death and injuries to the liver and kidneys from blunt force trauma that occurred four to six hours before her death.”

Robinson also said the two sets of injuries could not have been caused by accidental falls and the injuries wouldn’t have been fatal had she received immediate medical attention. Haynes told police Za’mya banged her head on the floor in a fall from her bed, but “didn’t cry or nothing.”

Robinson stated he found a “perforated bowel and pulpified liver due to blunt force injuries.” Za’mya’s mother, Shanika Williams, noticed her daughter twice came back from visitations with Haynes with minor injuries. Williams boyfriend, Connery Hadden, who Williams said Za’mya calls “Daddy,” told police he advised Williams to not let Haynes have any more visitations based on the suspicious bruises. When Za’mya complained of stomach pain after a visitation with Haynes, an aunt, Selena Atterberry, noticed bruises on the back and stomach area. Atterberry told police she asked the child, “Who hurt you? Who did it?”

She said Za’mya responded, “Donte did it.”

Williams said “Donte” was what Za’mya called Larry Donte Haynes.

Then, Haynes’ mother kneecapped her son’s story of Za’mya’s final night. Sharon Haynes originally told police her son, McCray and Za’mya all were at her house at 11 p.m. She said around 2:40 a.m., her son entered her home with McCray. In his arms, Za’mya’s cold, unconscious breathless body. Sharon told police she called 911 and called Williams.

Detectives say phone records and GPS showed Larry Haynes and McCray to be at McCray’s Margate home until around 2 a.m. McCray’s phone called Yellow Cab at 2:15. Yellow Cab records told police there was a pickup at McCray’s home at 2:26, then a southeast drive to Sharon Haynes’ Fort Lauderdale home. Police noted the cab with Haynes, McCray and Za’mya, didn’t stop at either of the fire rescue stations it passed and drove in the opposite direction of the Northwest Medical Center, just 2.4 miles north of McCray.

Neither Haynes nor McCray has a previous violent crime conviction, although each has a conviction on other charges. Broward Civil Court’s Domestic Violence Court saw the two in 2014 when McCray got a temporary injunction against Haynes. The Department of Children and Families told The Herald in November it had made contact with Haynes twice before in 2010 regarding two other children, but didn’t elaborate.